Combined printing and whirling device



June 20, 1950 J. N. ZACHMANN ET AL 2,512,126

COMBINED PRINTING AND WHIRLING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1947 f gig fl {9.32

IN VIE/47023 QTTOQNEV Patented June 20, 1950 COMBINED PRINTING AND WHIRLING DEVICE Jules N. Zachmann, Temple City, and Robert L. Franklin, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 29, 1947, Serial No. 77 6,816

2 Claims.

This invention is concerned with apparatus useful in offset printing or the like, and it is a general object of the invention to provide a simple, practical, compact, unit useful in sensitizing and in exposing a plate such as a plate used in a printing process.

In carrying out a commonly used process of printing a plate is sensitized by the application of a sensitizing solution thereto and following such operation the plate is exposed as through a negative, whereupon it is further treated and handled in a manner familiar to those skilled in the art. It is important that the sensitizing solution be applied to the plate in a thin uniform layer and it has been found that by rotating a plate bearing a quantity of the desired solution the solution is suitably distributed over the plate and the excess solution is thrown from the plate. Large and cumbersome apparatus has been provided for performing the operation just referred to and otherrather complicated apparatus is then used to effect the desired exposure of the plate.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a simple compact unitary structure incorporating a plate spinner and exposing apparatus, making both of such elements or means most convenient and accessible.

A further object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of the general character referred to involving a body in which the spinner is incorporated so that the catcher thereof forms a structural element stiffening the body to the end that the body forms a most secure and practical support for the exposing apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character referred to in which the spinner is so located within the body as to provide a storage chamber in the body for receiving supplies or parts of the exposing apparatus that may be removed at will.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character referred to in which the printer involves a plate support carried by the body and a clamp frame cooperating with the support while an illuminating unit is supported from the body above the frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the general character above referred to in which the illuminating means is adjustable and is also detachable and when detached is such that it may be stored within or carried by the body.

The various objects and features of our invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form and application of the invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, showing the apparatus in operating position. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the clamp of the printer up and a door of the body open. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the structure taken substantially as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan section taken as indicated by line 55 on Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan section taken as indicated by line 6-5 on Fig. 1 and Fig. '7 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially as indicated byline l'! on Fig. 2.

The structure provided by the present invention involves, generally, a body A, a spinner B located in and carried by the body, and a printer 0 located on or supported by the body A.

The body A is a vertically disposed housing or cabinetlike structure preferably open at the front, in which case it is provided with a suitable closure for the opening. In the particular form of the invention illustrated the body A is rectangular in plan configuration, in which case it has fiat vertical sides [0, a back II, a bottom I2, and a top 13. The various essential elements of the body A are preferably rigidly or integrally joined, as by welding, this form of construction being shown throughout the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the details of construction of the body A will depend upon the form in which the body is made, upon the material out of which the body or parts thereof are formed, and other such factors, and therefore we do not wish to limit ourselves to the particular body construction referred to and illustrated in the drawings.

The body construction just described is open at the front. Therefore, we provide a closure [4 for the front of the body, which closure preferably involves a pair of doors 15 carried by hinges 16 secured to the forward edge portions of the sides Ill. The doors l5 join or slightly overlap and may be releasably secured or joined together by a suitable latch IT.

The spinner B is located in and carried by the body A between the bottom 52 and the top l3 of the body. The spinner preferably includes a table 28, a prime mover 2!, a drive 22 from the prime mover to the table, and a catcher '23 located to receive material discharged from the table or from a plate P that may be carried on the table.

In accordance with the arrangement of the present invention the catcher 23 is incorporated in the body A as a structural element and it serves as a carrier for the prime mover 2i which, in turn, carries the drive 22 which supports the table 20. In the form illustrated the catcher is a pan-like structure having a flat bottom 25 and upstanding sides 26. The sides 26 are shown in the form of integral or upwardly projecting flange-like extensions on the marginal edges of the bottom 25 and the unitary structure formed by the bottom 25 and sides 26 is preferably secured or permanently joined to the body A as by welding W. The bottom 25 is rectangular in plan configuration, conforming to the plan configuration of body A and there are four sides 2'6, two of which adjoin and are secured to the sides 10 of the body while a third adjoins and is secured to the back H of the body. The fourth side of the catcher is unsupported and extends across the front of the body at the opening where it is accessible when the doors are open.

In accordance with our invention the bottom of the catcher is provided with a central shaft opening 21 and a shaft tube 28' is carried by the bottom 25 at its central portion to extend up from the shaft opening 2'! to terminate well below the upper edges of the sides 26 of the catcher.

The prime mover 21 is preferably an electric motor and in accordance with our construction it is attached to the lower side of the catcher bottom 25 to depend therefrom. In the preferred arrangement the catcher 23 is located in the body A about midway between the bottom I2 and top is, with the result that it divides the body into an upper chamber or compartment X and a lower chamber or compartment Y. The motor mounted as above described depends into the lower chamber Y.

The drive 22 that we have provided involves a vertical drive shaft 30 extending up through the opening 2l' in the bottom of the catcher and through the shaft tube 28 that projects up from the bottom. The drive further includes a suitably housed gear mechanism 3! driven by the motor 2! and supporting the shaft 38. It will be understood that the gear mechanism 3! may be of any suitable form or construction providing the desired speed ratio between the motor shaft and the shaft 30.

The plate 2!] is carried on the upper end of shaft 30 so that it is horizontal and immediately above the upper end of the shaft tube 28. The plate 30 may be of any desired plan configuration and is of such size as to operate or rotate in the body compartment X with suitable clearance. With the construction just described a printing plate P placed or secured on the top of the plate 20 will operate or spin with the plate as the plate is driven by the motor through the drive 22. It will be apparent that as the plate 20 spins material deposited on the printing plate P will be distributed over its surface and any excess that is not held by the plate P will work its way to the periphery of the plate 26 to be thereafter discharged from the plate '20 into the catcher 22 from which it can be cleaned at any time.

The printer P includes, generally, a plate support 56, a clamp M and illuminating means 42. The plate support an is a pad-like element preferably formed of suitably yielding material such as rubber, or the like, and in the preferred arrangement it is carried on the upper side 43 of the body top l3.

The clamp 4| is shown as involving a rigid body 4! of transparent material such as glass and a frame 45 carrying the body 44. A hinge 46 pivotally connects the rear edge of the frame 45 to the body A, preferably at the upper edge of the back ll of the body. One or more fasteners 41 are provided to actuate and hold the frame in operating position as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 7 of the drawings. The fasteners 41 are preferably releasable fasteners and we have shown screw type fasteners each of which involves a screw having a shank 50 carried by the frame 45, a head 5'! projecting above the frame and a threaded lower end portion 52 depending from the frame and adapted to thread into a suitable part 54 on the under side of the body top IS.

The illuminating means 42 involves one or more sources of light such as bulbs 60 which may be carried in suitable sockets BI and a reflector or hood 62 carrying the lights. A mounting means 53 adjustably and detachably supports the hood 62 above the body so that light generated by the lamps Bil is directed downwardly onto the top of the body or onto the frame 4| at the top of the body to be passed by the transparent body of the frame to a printing plate 6'5 clamped between the frame and the support 40.

In the particular form of the invention illustrated the reflector is shown as a downwardly facing hood or bell-shaped structure, the inner surface ll! of which may be reflective. The several sockets 65 are mounted in the reflector so that the lamps are carried in the reflector substantially as shown in the drawings.

The mounting means 83 for the hood 62 involves a yoke having a center or body portion [4 extending over the hood and joined thereto and having depending legs '35 that extend out and down to the sides ill of the body at the upper end portion thereof. The legs are releasably and adjustably secured to the body, that is, to the sides Id of the body, so that the hood can be adjusted to various positions above the top of the body and can, if desired, be detached from the body. In the particular case illustrated simple screw fasteners 8G extend through holes BI in the legs '15 and thread into the side of the body' A. By providing several holes spaced longitudinally in each leg the legs can be arranged different vertical positions and by removing the screw fasteners 85 the legs can be detached from the body.

With the construction involving an electric motor 2i and electric lamps 60 it is preferred to provide the structure with a junction box 96 to which a suitable power line may be connected. A lead line 9! extends from the junction box to the motor 2! and a line 92 extendsfrom the junction box to the lamps. The line 92'is preferably releasable from the junctionbox through a suitable plug 93 so that when-the illuminating means is detached from the body the lead 82- can be detached from the junctio'n box in which case the lead may be left as a permanent part joined to or incorporated with the illuminating means.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that we have provided a most practical, inexpensive, convenient and highly effective structure; The spinner is operable as above described so that a printing plate can be easily and eifectively sensitized and a sensitized plate is handled by the printer in a most effective manner to be exposed as through a negative N. In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4 the plate 65 is shown arranged on the support 40 with a negative N interposed between the transparent body of the clamp and the plate. When the parts are thus arranged, light from the lamps 60 will effect exposure of the plate in the desired manner. It is to be understood that a suitable control may be provided in the lead 92 to the lamps, for instance, a switch 95 may be provided in the lead 92 and supported by one of the legs "l where it is readily accessible. Through actuation of the switch the lamps can be turned off and on at will.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of our invention, we do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to ourselves any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. A combined printing and whirling device including, a unitary cabinet having vertical sides, a back, a hinged front, a top and a bottom, a fixed horizontal partition in the cabinet intermediate the top and bottom dividing the cabinet into upper and lower compartments, a vertical shaft extending through the partition, a flat horizontally disposed table on the upper end of the shaft in the upper compartment and immediately above the partition, a part projecting upward from the forward edge of the partition to a point above the top of the table and catching fluid discharging forwardly from the table when it is rotated by the shaft, a motor in the lower compartment and driving the shaft, and a contact printer at the top of the cabinet and including a clamp pivoted to the top of the cabinet at the rear edge portion thereof and overlying the top of the cabinet and a light source supported from the housing overlying the clamp and directing light downward thereto, the clamp including a frame attached to the cabinet and a transparent element carried by the frame.

2. A combined printing and whirling device including, a unitary cabinet having vertical sides, a back, a bottom, a horizontal top, and a closure at the front, a fixed horizontal partition in the cabinet spaced a substantial distance below the top and dividing the cabinet into upper and lower compartments, the partition having a substantially central opening through it, a vertical tube carried by the partition projecting upward therefrom and communicating with the opening, a shaft extending vertically through the opening and tube, a, fiat horizontal table on the upper end of the shaft immediately above the upper end of the tube and overlyin the partition, a motor carried by the partition at the lower side thereof and driving the shaft, a part projecting upward from the forward edge of the partition and eX- tending between the sides of the cabinet and terminating above the table and a substantial distance below the top to catch material discharging forward from the table when it is r0- tated, and a contact printer carried by the cabinet at the upper end thereof and including, a horizontal plate support carried on the upper side of the top, a clamp having a frame pivoted to the rear edge portion of the top and carrying a transparent element, and illuminating means having a downwardly facing reflector with a light source therein and a leg supporting the reflector from the cabinet clear of the frame and for vertical adjustment, the frame being substantially coextensive with the top of the cabinet and normally carrying the transparent element in overlying relation to the plate support.

JULES N. ZACHMANN. ROBERT L. FRANKLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the -file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 978,261 Albert Dec. 13, 1910 1,159,296 Trimbach Nov. 2, 1915 1,431,664 Huebner Oct. 10, 1922 1,742,372 Taylor Jan. 7, 1930 2,100,920 Rogers Nov. 30, 1937 2,412,317 Campbell Dec. 14, 1946 

